Global times south china sea

The case is first legal challenge in the dispute. An arbitration court in The Hague will rule on Tuesday in a dispute about the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea) in which the Philippines is challenging China's right to exploit resources across vast swathes of the strategic territory. China has boycotted the hearings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, saying it does not have jurisdiction to decide on the matter. The ruling stands to further ramp up tensions in the region, where China's increased military assertiveness has spread concern among its smaller neighbours and is a point of confrontation with the United States. The United States and China regularly conduct military exercises in the area, which is of vital interest to both Beijing and Washington, and have accused each other of provocations as recently as last month. Influential state-run Chinese newspaper the Global Times said in an editorial on Tuesday that China's reaction to the ruling "depends on provocation". … [Read more...] about High stakes legal ruling looms in ‘South China Sea’ dispute

'We will try to play our part' in the Pacific, said Britain's ambassador to the United States. British fighter planes visiting Japan will fly over the South China Sea and Britain will sail aircraft carriers in the Pacific once they are operational in 2020, given concerns about freedom of navigation there, Britain's ambassador to the United States said on Thursday. The envoy, Kim Darroch, told a Washington think tank that British Typhoon aircraft currently deployed on a visit to Japan would fly across disputed parts of the South China Sea to assert international overflight rights, but gave no time frame. Speaking at an event also attended by Japan's ambassador to Washington, Darroch said that most future British defense capacity would have to be directed toward the Middle East, but added: "Certainly, as we bring our two new aircraft carriers onstream in 2020, and as we renew and update our defense forces, they will be seen in the Pacific. "And we absolutely share the objective of … [Read more...] about British fighters to overfly South China Sea; carriers in Pacific after 2020-envoy

Obama wants to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific. U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday pressed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, urging Beijing to uphold its legal obligations and stressing the United States' commitments to its regional allies. Tensions over the disputed waters between China and its neighbors were expected to hang over the G20 summit, which opens in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sunday. China is keen to ensure a smooth summit, its highest profile event of the year, as it looks to enhance its global standing and avoid acrimony over a long list of tensions with Washington. Obama, now in the last five months of his presidency, wants to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific, setting the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office on January 20. He has invested in developing closer ties with nations in … [Read more...] about Obama presses China’s Xi on South China Sea ahead of G20

China must accept a verdict declaring its South China Sea claims are invalid, Australia said Wednesday, and needs to halt its artificial island building in the disputed waters. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Beijing risked reputational harm if it ignored the ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, on a case brought by Manila, which said China had no title to the waterway. "We call on both the Philippines and China to respect the ruling, to abide by it. It is final and legally binding on both of them," Bishop told national broadcaster ABC. "This treaty, the Law of the Sea, codifies pre-existing international custom. It's a foundation to maritime trade and commerce globally, and so to ignore it would be a serious international transgression. "There would be strong reputational costs. China seeks to be a regional and global leader and requires friendly relations with its neighbours. That's crucial to its rise." Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, even waters … [Read more...] about Beijing must accept South China Sea ruling: Australia

Beijing will not take a "single step back" in the contested sea head of a tribunal ruling in the dispute. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbours, and has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. It is currently holding a week of military drills around the Paracel Islands in the northern part of the sea, during which other ships have been prohibited from entering the waters. The Virginia-based Navy Times reported this week that three U.S. destroyers, the Spruance, Stethem and Momsen, have been patrolling near the Chinese-claimed Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands further south. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and supporting vessels are also in the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea), the U.S. Navy has said. The Navy Times cited experts describing the deployments as "a message of resolve to the Chinese and U.S. allies in the region" … [Read more...] about Beijing will not ‘step back’ in ‘South China Sea’

China's government sought to downplay fears of conflict in the South China Sea after an influential state-run newspaper said on Tuesday that Beijing should prepare for military confrontation in the area. The joint editorials in the Chinese and English editions of the Global Times were published as tension mounted ahead of a July 12 ruling by an international court hearing competing claims of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. The newspaper said the dispute had already been complicated by U.S. intervention and now faced further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China's sovereignty. "Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China's obedience," the Global Times said. China should speed up developing its military deterrence to give the U.S. a bloody nose if it intervened in the dispute by force, the newspaper added. … [Read more...] about China says wants peace after newspaper warns on South China Sea clash

Little is known about China's aircraft carrier program, which is a state secret. China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier on Wednesday amid rising tension over North Korea and worries about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. State media has quoted military experts as saying the carrier, China's second and built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been kitted out and armed. Foreign military analysts and Chinese media have for months published satellite images, photographs and news stories about the second carrier's development. China confirmed its existence in late 2015. The launch "shows our country's indigenous aircraft carrier design and construction has achieved major step-by-step results", Xinhua news agency said. State television showed the carrier, its deck lined in red flags, being pushed by tug boats into its berth. Fan Changlong, a vice chairman of … [Read more...] about China launches first home-built aircraftcarrier amid South China Sea tension

Global oil and shipping markets reacted nervously on Tuesday after an international arbitration court ruled against Beijing's claims across large swathes of the South China Sea, fuelling geopolitical tensions in the vital waterway. A tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, found China had breached the sovereign rights of the Philippines and had no legal basis to its historic claims in the South China Sea, a major shipping lane between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The ruling will be seen as a victory by other regional claimants such the Philippines and Vietnam, but with China rejecting the ruling and saying its military would defend its sovereign rights, nerves were on edge. Although shippers and oil traders said they did not expect an immediate impact on shipping as a result of the ruling, oil prices jumped following the findings. Brent crude futures were up over $1, or more than 2 percent, to $47.60 per barrel at 1110 GMT. "It is vital that merchant ships are allowed to go about … [Read more...] about Oil and shipping markets on edge after South China Sea ruling

Related News South China Sea reefs "decimated" as giant clams harvested in bulk By Reuters/Farah Master &nbspJune 28, 2016 | 08:43 am GMT+7 Ornaments made from the shells of endangered giant clams, renowned in China for having auspicious powers and the lustre of ivory, have become coveted luxuries, a trend which has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem of the South China Sea (Vietnam's East Sea). China banned harvesting of giant clams last year but in the tiny seaside town Tanmen on the southern island of Hainan, most stores still sell products made from the over four-foot-wide shells. The once sleepy fishing village has transformed over the past three years to harvest clams on an industrial scale. There are around 460 handicraft retailers, compared to 15 in 2012, with the industry now supporting around 100,000 people. The price of giant clams has risen 40-fold over the past five years, while the plundering of the seabed has led to severe degradation of the reefs, … [Read more...] about South China Sea reefs “decimated” as giant clams harvested in bulk

China has rattled nerves with its military and construction activities on the islands it occupies in the South China Sea, including building runways, though Beijing says most of the construction is meant for civilian purposes, like lighthouses. The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Party's official People's Daily, said the nuclear power platforms could "sail" to remote areas and provide a stable power supply. China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, the company in charge of designing and building the platforms, is "pushing forward the work", said Liu Zhengguo, the head of its general office. "The development of nuclear power platforms is a burgeoning trend," Liu told the paper. "The exact number of plants to be built by the company depends on the market demand." Demand is "pretty strong", he added, without elaborating. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying played down the story as a media report, however. "I've not heard here of the relevant situation," … [Read more...] about China could build nuclear plants for South China Sea (Vietnam’s East Sea), paper says